Ambassadors Roundtable
April 17, 2008
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Summary
As part of the Ambassador Roundtable Series on International Collaboration to Combat Terrorism and Insurgencies, The Homeland Security Policy Institute and the International Center for Terrorism Studies co-hosted Ambassador Dr. Bisera Turkovic, from Bosnia and Herzegovina, on April 17, 2008.
Bosnia and Herzegovina (Bosnia) has been a volatile region since 1992, when it declared its independence from the former Republic of Yugoslavia. Strife ended in 1996 with the Dayton Peace Agreement, which now serves as Bosnia’s constitution. Turkovic noted that Bosnia remains a fragile state with a population susceptible to organized crime and terrorism. Her address presented the historical context of Bosnia for its current challenges and a screening of The March of Death, a short documentary about the 1995 genocide in Srebrenica. HSPI director Frank Cilluffo commented that the film “served as a reminder that policymakers should continue to focus on the victims of violence and terrorism.” Subsequently, Turkovic led a discussion on the aspects of dismantling the nexus of terrorism and organized crime in Bosnia.
As a consequence of the war in the mid-1990s, Bosnia was left divided with a large number of refugees, displaced persons, and a lack of sustainable return conditions for those who desired to return. In some areas of the country, perpetrators of war crimes have not been brought to justice and are still in government positions. Additionally, there is dissatisfaction with the economy—the population is experiencing a high unemployment rate. The poor state of the economy gives rise to hopelessness, which in turn makes people more susceptible to extremist ideology and even terrorist action. Poor education is exacerbating the problem—education has been used as an ideological tool to promote more segregation and ethnic tension, rather than acting as a unifying force.
Bosnia’s capacity to combat terrorism depends upon its ability to break down perceptions of the public about religious extremism, to combat organized crime, and eradicate corruption. There are numerous sources of terrorism in Bosnia—both religious extremists and organized criminal networks utilize terrorist tactics of bombings and assassination. Additionally, the public does not trust the state to protect them or bring criminals and terrorists to justice— corruption throughout the government is rampant. Ignorance, lack of social and political dialogue, and human rights abuses amplify ethnic and religious tension.
For operational purposes, Turkovic underscored the necessity to define terrorism in order to combat it. She notes, “today our problems with terrorism begin with the inability to officially define it—the issue is politicized within Bosnia. This lack of definition has allowed room for terrorists to exploit sympathies of [the] population and international community.”
The Bosnian perception of what terrorism is varies due to numerous views of ethnic groups and the presence of foreign movements. For example, a large number of Wahhabi Muslim foreigners joined the war in the mid-1990s on behalf of Bosnia and were granted citizenship for their efforts. A small number of them have become radicalized—two presented a threat and were subsequently stripped of their citizenship and deported. In general, Bosnia is not threatened by Wahhabi Islam. Rather, Turkovic explained that Bosnia’s concern is for “well resourced radical organizations [that] can fully penetrate the fragile society of Bosnia and Herzegovina.”
Definitions aside, Bosnia continues to work to increase its effectiveness at combating terrorism and organized crime. Law enforcement reforms, judicial integration for the two entities, the creation of high courts that can hold officials accountable for corruption or previous war crimes, and improvements to the state financial system are underway. Since 2000, six national level agencies were established, each important to fighting terrorism: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Security, State Investigation and Protection Agency, State Border Service, and Intelligence Security Agency.
Turkovic indicated that a crucial part of Bosnia’s fight against terrorism and organized crime is to create an efficient public bureaucracy that has a monopoly on the rule of law and a fair system of taxation in order to sustain the government and its services to society. However, terrorist and criminal networks are often hidden by institutional corruption. From this perspective, the long-term goals of institutional development are important. Bosnia’s progress has been enhanced by assistance from the European Union (EU) for police training programs.
Challenges remain for Bosnia, which must conduct its counterterrorism efforts while simultaneously integrating the two federal level entities into one functioning state. Yet, its new government agencies have already successfully participated in the global struggle against terrorism. Turkovic hopes that the international community will learn from Bosnia and Herzegovina’s experience, as it has benefited from other nations. The main focus of such efforts should be “[to take a] broad approach, better [international] cooperation, and to respect human rights.”
Resources
In anticipation of the April 17th Roundtable with Ambassador Bisera Turkovic, the Homeland Security Policy Institute has prepared a resource page where you will find some useful links to recent reports, relevant government agencies and other useful information.
Recent Reports:
“Bosnia: Overview of Issues,” Congressional Research Service RS22324 (January 17, 2008).
Over 12 years since the Dayton accords ended the 1992-1995 Bosnian war, Bosnia’s future is still in question. In early 2007, the international community postponed plans to close out its overseeing role in Bosnia, and may consider another postponement in early 2008; a small EU military force contributes to a secure environment. This report provides an overview of prominent current issues in Bosnia that may be of interest to Members of the 110 th Congress. It may be updated as events warrant.
“Ensuring Bosnia’s Future: A New International Engagement Strategy,” International Crisis Group: Europe Report N°180 (15 February 2007).
This report ascertains that good deal has been achieved in the past eleven years but the international community has not yet reached a point where it can safely declare victory and leave. The EU needs to lead a new stage of active international engagement that will not be brief. Disengagement before essential reform benchmarks are met and self-sustaining institutions established would put at risk all the gains made and the survival of a unified Bosnia, as well as increase the prospect that much of the Western Balkans would return to chaos.
“Bosnia and Herzegovina—Islamic Revival, International Advocacy Networks and Islamic Terrorism,” Strategic Insights, Volume IV, Issue 5 (May 2005).
This article is a succinct assessment of the trends and movement of “Islamic terrorism” within the Bosnian space.
“Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000: Trafficking in Persons Report 2007,” U.S. Department of State (June 2007).
This annual report details problems human trafficking in Bosnia and international cooperation efforts, including those of the United States, being applied to bring such trafficking to an end.
“International Narcotics Control Strategy 2007,” U.S. Department of State (March 1, 2007).
The 2007 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report (INCSR) is an annual report by the Department of State to Congress prepared in accordance with the Foreign Assistance Act. It describes the efforts of key countries to attack all aspects of the international drug trade in Calendar Year 2006. Volume I covers drug and chemical control activities. Volume II covers money laundering and financial crimes. U.S. work with the government of Bosnia in the Balkan region is addressed.
Bosnian Government:
Government of Boznia and Herzegovina: http://www.fbihvlada.gov.ba/
Dayton Peace Accord Agreement: http://www.oscebih.org/overview/gfap/eng/
Constitutional Documents: http://confinder.richmond.edu/country.php
Ministry of Defense: http://www.mod.gov.ba/eng/eng_main.php
Organization for Security Co-operation in Europe Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina: http://www.oscebih.org/oscebih_eng.asp
United Nations Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (1995-2002): http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/unmibh/
News and Resource Links:
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty: http://www.rferl.org/featuresarchive/country/bosnia-herzegovina.html
New York Times: http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/international/countriesandterritories/bosniaandherzegovina/index.html
Bosnia News: http://bosnianews.blogspot.com/
Daily top news from Bosnia.
Bosnia Vault: http://bavault.blogspot.com/
A blog about Bosnia, with an emphasis on the 1992-1995 war, and that war's aftermath. Includes: News, Opinion, War Crimes Tribunal Watch, Advocacy, Culture and more.
U.S. State Department: “Background Note: Bosnia and Herzegovina,” Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, U.S. Department of State (October 2007).
CIA World Factbook: Bosnia and Herzegovina
BBC Country Profile: Bosnia and Herzegovina
Ambassador Bisera Turkovic
Dr. Bisera Turković has served as the Ambassador of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the United States since October 3, 2005. Turković also serves as the Permanent Observer of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the Organization of American States (OAS) and as Bosnia’s ambassador to Mexico and Brazil. Turković holds a degree in law from the University of Sarajevo and a Bachelor of Arts degree in criminal justice administration from the Philip Institute of Technology (Melbourne, Australia). She did her post graduate studies in criminology at the University of LaTrobe (Melbourne, Australia), and holds a PhD in international relations from Pacific Western University in Hawaii. After working as chief editor for Hayat TV, Turković was appointed Bosnia and Herzegovina’s first bilateral ambassador to another country. From 1993-1994, she was ambassador to Croatia, then ambassador to Hungary (1994-1996) and ambassador to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) from 1996 to 2000. From 2000 to 2001, Turković worked as Minister for European Integration of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Between 2001 and 2004, she served as the executive director of the Centre for Security Studies in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as a lecturer at the Faculty of Criminal Justice, University of Sarajevo. Prior to her current appointment, Turković served as the Permanent Representative of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the United Nations Office in Vienna, Austria, and as ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency, the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organization and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization.
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The Ambassadors Roundtable Series is designed to provide Ambassadors to the United States and their key diplomatic staff with a forum to discuss current and future counterterrorism and counterinsurgency efforts on a regional or country-specific basis. In an effort to draw upon various insights and experiences, the Ambassadors Roundtable Series builds upon and institutionalizes efforts over the past two years to engage in a dialogue with members of the international community, policy makers, and practitioners.
